Charles McGee exhibition will be the first at new Detroit arts center the Shepherd
The repurposed church is part of Little Village, a developing cultural center that will have a gallery, artist studio spaces, restaurants, bars, a Tony Hawk-designed skate park and more.
Melody BaetensThis article has been updated to clarify that the area the Shepherd covers is 3.5 acres, not the entire Little Village.
The first public programming for a new cultural arts center called the Shepherd will be an exhibit by acclaimed Detroit artist Charles McGee.
The Library Street Collective co-founders and partners Anthony and JJ Curis announced details this week. The 3.5 acre Shepherd was formerly Good Shepherd church, and anchors a developing “cultural campus” called Little Village.
Considered the anchor of Little Village, the 16,000-square-foot former church was "reimagined" by architectural firm Peterson Rich Office, which focused on keeping original elements of the building intact during the rejuvenation.
“The Shepherd reshapes an institution that built community around religion, to one that will build community around the arts. Anthony and JJ’s commitment to expanding access to arts in the city of Detroit is nothing short of transformational. Our firm is honored to play a role in this special project,” said Nathan Rich and Miriam Peterson of PRO in a press release announcing details of the new project.
The multi-media exhibit, “Charles McGee: Time is Now,” will be on display May 18-July 20 and is curated by Jova Lynne, artistic director of MOCAD.
A permanent sculpture garden called the Charles McGee Legacy Park, built to honor the late artist, will also debut to the public May 18. McGee developed plans for these three large works before his passing in 2021.
In addition to the sculpture park, the grounds surrounding the Shepherd will have a variety of destinations and activities to enrich the neighborhood that are in the works. These include a skate park designed by McArthur Binion and Tony Hawk, a bed and breakfast called ALEO envisioned as an artists’ haven, performance spaces, nonprofit hubs and places to eat and drink.
Among them are a new patisserie from James Beard Award-winning chef Warda Bouguettaya in a converted farmhouse and a cocktail bar called Father Forgive Me from Joe Robinson and Anthony Curis, which will be located in the church’s former garage. Bourgettaya's new venture, expected to debut this summer, will serve breakfast to the guests of ALEO.
The Shepherd is located at 1265 Parkview in Detroit. For more information, visit lscgallery.com/the-shepherd.